Florida educators arrested following physical abuse of autistic child

A Fort Walton Beach, Florida teacher is charged with four counts of child abuse for how she reportedly treated an autistic child while employed at Kenwood Elementary School. The former principal and a school district employee also face charges for not reporting allegations made against the teacher to the state’s child abuse hotline as required by law.

Channel 3 News initially brought you this story when the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the parent’s complaint in May. He told Channel 3's Christina Leavenworth he cried when he read the report that detailed child abuse involving his now 6-year-old child, Noah, who is non-verbal.

Eddie Perillo said he had learned of the existence of a 2015-2016 investigation by the Okaloosa County School District into possible abuse involving 59-year-old teacher Marlynn Stillions of Destin. The allegations included spraying special needs students in the face with water or vinegar as punishment, using her foot to try to control, move or push a child on the floor, and kneeing the victim in the chin.

Perillo got a copy of the District’s “Investigative Summary Report” and turned it over to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), which launched its own independent criminal investigation.

Based upon the sworn statements of multiple witnesses and other information gathered the OCSO has charged Stillions with four counts of child abuse without great bodily harm.

School District employee, 70-year-old Arden Farley of Niceville, who conducts internal investigations for the School District, is charged with failure to report suspected child abuse, as is former Kenwood Elementary Principal Angelyn Vaughan of Fort Walton Beach. OCSO Investigators said Farley and Vaughan were aware of the allegations and failed to make a mandatory report to the Florida Department of Children and Families Abuse Hotline as required by Florida law.